Apple is mandating users upgrade to its new Home architecture by February 10, 2026, or risk losing control of HomeKit-connected smart devices and automations. PCWorld reports the updated system no longer supports iPads as home hubs, requiring an Apple TV 4K ($129+) or HomePod ($99) instead. Despite initial rollout problems in 2022, the re-released architecture since iOS 16.4 promises improved reliability and efficiency for smart home management. Well, this is it: After a series of delays, Apple is finally nixing support for its old Home architecture, meaning those still relying on the previous version of Apple's Home framework have some decisions to make--quickly. The moment of truth arrives February 10, 2026, less than a week away.

The Google Home app has seen a host of small improvements over the last few months to enhance stability and polish. However, Google says with this new update, you can expect to see 70 percent faster startup with the app and 80 percent fewer crashes. There are battery life and memory optimizations, and scrubbing through the camera is six times smoother. The Home app is designed to be used easily one-handed, and you can use more gestures, such as swiping down to enter a camera view or swiping up to back out. You now get preview images from the last event before the live view loads, the ability to swipe between timeline and events, double-tap to fast forward or rewind, and better notifications with a static thumbnail expandable to a large animated preview. Google says the merger of features and devices from the old Nest app is now complete, and folks should be able to transition seamlessly, though the legacy app won't be disappearing yet.

Well, it's official: Apple is finally nixing support for its old Home architecture, meaning those relying on the previous version of Apple's Home framework have some decisions to make. In a revision to a support article, Apple says that it will end support for the previous version of its Home app starting in fall 2025, right around the time when iOS 19 is expected to drop, MacRumors reports. If you don't update, you face "interruptions with your accessories and automations," Apple warns. In other words, you'll lose control of your Apple HomeKit-connected smart devices. Apple's move to ditch its old Home app has been a long time in coming.

If you have several Google Nest speakers, Chromecast and smart displays, you can add each of them to several different groups in the Google Home app again. The company implemented changes last month, which would allow certain devices to be added to only one speaker group at a time in response to Sonos' patent lawsuit. This development, announced by the Nest team, undoes that change. If you'll recall, Sonos sued the company back in 2020, accusing it of infringing on several patents it holds, including ones related to managing groups of speakers. In May, a California federal jury determined that Google had infringed on Sonos' intellectual property and ordered the tech giant to pay a $32.5 million fine.

Google has really tried to go all in on automation since the rollout of its redesigned Home app in May. There's been the introduction of a new script editor, Nest Cam Indoor integration and, now, a whole slew of new routines to use. The company has announced 18 new routines -- half starters and half actions -- immediately available for Google Home users. Starters allow you to activate or turn off something in response to another device. For example, you can now have the thermostat automatically turn off when the window is open or have lights dim and the fireplace light up if you pause your show.

During its I/O annual developer conference earlier this year, Google said it was giving users the ability to transition their first-generation Nest Cam Indoor and Nest Cam Outdoor devices from the old Nest app to its new Home application. Well, the time has come -- for the indoor camera, at least. Google has just started rolling out the ability to manage the camera model through the public preview version of its Home app, and it will take a few weeks before it's done making its way to all users. Nest cameras used to have their own application before the company was acquired by Google. Over time, Google added support for all its smart home products to its Home app, but users of the the oldest Nest cameras had to stick to the original application to be able to manage their devices.

Google released its redesigned Home app last month, adding routines to give users more control over smart home automations. Now, it's introducing a new script editor, the company announced in a Google Nest blog post. It gives users even more granular control over automations, letting them do things like "dim lights and lower blinds when the living room TV is on after dark," to cite one Google example. It does require some basic programming abilities, though, as it uses the YAML data serialization language. Building an automation requires three elements: starters, conditions and actions.

Given how important smart home devices have become, it's not a surprise that Google has a lot of updates to its Home app and how Android users can interact with those devices. The most significant update is to the aforementioned Google Home app for both Android and iOS -- it has been completely redesigned and will be available tomorrow. The app has been in preview since last fall, and Google says they've been iterating on it significantly based on user feedback. The new design incorporates a familiar five-tab view along the bottom of the screen: favorites, devices, activity, automation and settings. The favorites tab is the default view and lets you pin interactive tiles to the view for devices, actions and automations you use the most.

Google announced end-of-life dates today for products relying on the Nest app that won't carry over to the new Google Home. If you own any Nest Secure or Dropcam home-security products, you have a year to use them before they become paperweights. Phasing out old and incompatible hardware could signal that the arrival of Google's more customizable new Home app is drawing near. Nest Secure will continue to work until April 8th, 2024. To ease the blow, Google is offering some freebies to customers -- as the company often does when its products head to the Google Graveyard.

Microsoft has begun rolling out a new update for Xbox consoles. Among the more notable features the February release adds is the " carbon aware" functionality the company began testing last month. When your Xbox has access to the internet, you can set it to schedule game, app and operating system updates based on local carbon intensity data. According to Microsoft, doing so may lead to your console producing fewer carbon emissions because it's programmed to download files when more renewable energy is likely available. It may also save you money on your electricity bill.